Furnace-feeding apparatus.



J. T. FETHERSTON.

FURNACE FBEDING APPARATUS. 1

APPLIUATIONEILBD 312.11, 1910.

1,053,620. Patented Feb.11,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

J. T. PETHERSTON.

PURNAGB PBEDING APPARATUS.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2,1910.

LSE.

paratus.

UNITED 4STATES' 'PATENT OFFTCE.

JOHN T. FETHERSTON,.OF NEW- YORK. N. Y., ASLSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO POWERSPECIALTY COMPANY, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., A] CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FURNACE-FEEDING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, JOHN T. FETHERs'roN, acitizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county ofRichmond and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements'in Furnace- Feeding Apparatus, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to furnace-feeding apparatus, more particularlyfor so-called destructor furnaces in which household refuse and otherwaste materials are con sumed, and has for its chief object to providepower-actuated means for the purpose which shall be simple inconstruction and thoroughly effective lin operation.

To this and other ends the invention which I desire to cover consists inthe novel features and combinations of elements hereinafter described. v

The preferred embodiment is illustrated in the annexed drawings, andreferring now thereto, F' re 1 is a plan view of the ap# Fing. 2 is aside elevation, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a crosss section on alarger scale, taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1,

but with the scraper or unloading device in an advanced position.

.'Thefurnace is shown diagrammatically at 4, and is provided with asuitable opening 5 through which the material is introduced, and back ofthis opening the feeding or charging apparatus is arranged.

The main element of the feeding apparatusA is a rectangular chargingframe the sides of which are formed by two channel irons 6, 6, havingtheir anges disposed inwardly. At the vfront the side members mentionedare connected by a bottom plate 7, so that the forward portion of thestructure constitutes a receptacle or pan for the material which is tobe introduced into the furnace. This pan, practically as wide as thefurnace, is open at the front, and eX- tending across the pan is amovable wall or follower 8, normally resting against two.

stops or abutments 9, 9, mounted on the .inside ofthe side members nearthe back of the bottom plate 7, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. At the rearside plates are connected by a transverse member 10, and the whole ismounted on a series of supporting frames 11, provided with rollers 12 onwhich the side members 6 rest, vand with rollers 13 bearing the sides ofsaid members to pre `mechanism will now be readily vent sidewisedisplacement of the charging frame. The latter can therefore be run intothe furnace, and withdrawn, through the opening 5, at will. If desired,rollers 13a may be provided, arranged over the side plates and carriedby one or more of the frames 11.

At the rear of the charging frame is a ram 14 of any convenient andsuitable type, having the forward end of its plunger 15 secured to across plate 16 the ends of which are secured to the side plates 6, 6.Movable longitudinally through this cross plate 16 are two rods 17,secured at their forward ends to the follower 8 and connected at theirrear ends to suitable counterweights 18, 18, by means of cables or ropes19, 19 running over pulleys 20, 21, The function of the counterweightsis to retract the rods and the follower, as will be readily understood,but this movement of'retraction relative to the pan is limited by twostops 422, 22,

understood. On the frame 11 nearest to the furnace is a member 25 (notshown in Fig.

y1) extending across and above the charging the side plates 6, 6, ashort distance from the forward ends thereof.

From the foregoing the operation of th understood. The parts being inthe positlon shown in Fig. 1 and shown in full lines in Fig. 2, the panis filled with the material which is to be introdiiced into the furnaceland is started. The entire charging frame is thereby advanced, thefollower 8 being adA vanced also by the transverse membery 16 engagingthestops 22, and the stops 26'being cammed inwardly vby the members 28out of the way of the latter. As the pan moves to the position shown indotted lines in Fig. 2, inside the/furnace, the fingers or catches 23engage the stops 26 and are thrown back .as they pass under the stops,after which the catches 'are restored to their initial positions by theweights 24. When `the dotted line position is reached the ram isreversed and the entire charging frame is retracted, 'but the follower,arriving at the stops 26, vis arrested by the fingers- 23 engagingthestops. The pan, however, continues its rearward movement, therebycausing the material to be scraped off over the forward edge ofv the paninto the furnace across the entire width of the same, by the nowstationary follower or scraper. Finally, ,the camming devices 28 engagethe lugs 27 and throw the stops inwardly out of the path of the fingers23, thereby releasing the scraper; whereupon the latter is immediatelyretracted while the rest of the charging frame is completing itsrearward movement. The parts are thus restored to -their initialpositions, ready for another charge. y

, It will be observed that the charging pan conforms in sizeand contourto the 'plan of the furnace, so that the materials which are to beburned can be placed on the pan in the positions which they are tooccupy in the furnace. Then as the pan is withdrawn the materials pourover the forward edge and settle gently ,into these positions.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to theconstructionl herein specifically shown and'described, but may beembodied in various forms without departure from its proper spirit andscope,

I claim:

l. In a furnacefeeding apparatus, in combination, an open receptacle, afollower movable therein, retracting rods connected with the follower, aram connected with the receptacle to advance and retract the same,

a member rigidly connected with the recep-v tacle, stops mounted on saidrods and arranged to be engaged by the said member in the forwardmovement of the receptacle whereby to advance the follower, meansarranged to engage the follower and hold the same stationary in4 itsadvanced position, means connected with said rods to retract thefollower, and means for releasing the follower from said holding meansto permit retraction of the follower by the said retracting means.

2. In a furnace-feeding apparatus, in combination, a 'receptacle havingrearwardly extending side members, a cross member secured to the sidemembers inthe rear of the receptacle, means connected with said crossmember to advance and retract the receptacle, a scraper'movably mountedin the receptacle, rods connected to the scraper and extendingrearwardly pastthe said cross member, stops mounted on the rods in frontof the cross member and adapted to be engaged thereby to advance thescraper with the receptacle, releasable means for holding the scraperstationary in itsadvanced position, and means connected with the saidrods to retract the same and the scraper upon release of the saidholding means. y f l 3. In a furnace-feeding apparatus, a 4receptacle,means for advancing and retracting the same, a scraper mounted in thereceptaf and movable therewith inl the forward movement of the same,rearwardly swinging fingers connected with the scraper, transverselyswinging stopsv in the pathr of said lingers, and means carried by thereceptacle for swinging said stops out of the path of the fingers.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature

